Retractable vehicle support



NOV. 13, 1945. v l P vMASTRS :2,388,923

RETRACTABLE VEHICLE SUPPORT Filed Dec. 27,1 1944 Phillip Mast-ers Patented Nov. 13, 1945 l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,388,923 nE'raAc'rABLE VEHICLE SUPPORT Phillip Masters, Broadwater, Nebr.

Application December 27, 1944, serial Ne. 569,997

3 claims. (ci. aso-,3344) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in supports for the tongue of twowheeled vehicles, such as trailers and other farm implements and the invention has for its primary object to provide a retractable support 'of this character operable by a pulling and backward movement oi the towing vehicle to move the support into and out of its retracted position.

A further object of the invention is to provide latch means operable by the driver of the towing vehicle to' secure the support in either its raised or lowered position.

A still further object is to'provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is eicient and reliable in operation, strong and durable and otherwise well adapted lfor the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the trailer tongue showing the support operatively connected thereto. e

its' ends on a pin I6 carried by the tongue 5 and having an upstanding end l1 to which a latch cord or cable i8 is attached and extends forwardly -for operation by the drivervof the' towing vehicle.

' To the rear end of the latch l5 is attached a coil spring i9 exerting adownward pulling force on the latch to cause the insertion of the pin i3 in the openings il or l2 in accordance with the posion of the extension l in the chamber 6 of the tongue.

A pair of supporting legs liii) are positioned at opposite sides of the tongue 5 and the legs are pivoted intermediate their ends on a pin 2l secured to the underside of the tongue by a plate 22. The lowerends of the legs 2li are connected by a horizontal foot 23 preferably of angle iron construction and extending transversely beneath the tongue.

The upper ends of the legs 2u are preferably Y inclined forwardly as indicated at 2t and to .the`

upper ends thereof are pivotally attached the Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken sub- I for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a trailer tongue of a type adapted for use with a two-wheeled trailer, or other two'wheeled vehicle, the tongue preferably being of square shape in cross section and having a longitudinally extending chamber 6 in its front end and in which a tongue extension 1 is slidably mounted.

The front or outer end of the extension l -is provided with upper and lower plates 8 and 9 suitably secured thereto for receiving a coupling pin I0 and byY means of which a, towing vehicle may be attached to the tongue through the use of any suitable coupling or trailer hitch.v

An opening or recess Il is formed in the upper portion of the front end of the extension 1 and a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings l2 are formed in the upper portion of the rear end of the extension 1. l

the pin being pivotally attached adjacent the rear end of a bellcrank latch l5 pivoted intermediate 5o The openings Il and l2 are adapted to receive rear endsof arms 25 by means of a cross pin 2S. The front ends of the arms 25 kare connected to the upper plate 8 by means of a pin 21.

In th'e operation of the device the tongue E and extension 'I are normally supported by the trailer hitch to which the tongue is attached to a towing vehicle and by releasing the latch pin i3 and backing the towing vehicle to cause an inward telescoping movement of th'e extension l in the chamber 6 of the tongue the arms 25 will swing the upper'ends of the legs 20 rearwardly into the dotted line position as shown in Figure 1 of the drawing whereby the legs will be retractedand the latch'pin then dropped into the opening il,

and the extension 'l will then be connected to upwardly by the latch cord i8 and the towing Vehicle moved forwardly to slide the extension 'l outwardly of the tongue 5 whereby the arms .25

will lower the legs 20 into a position for engaging the ground and thus support the tongue 5 and the latch pinV I3` is then again dropped into one ofthe openings i2 according to the height of the draw baror coupling. That is to say, it is obvious that, if the tongue end portion 5 is at a heighth above the ground or iloor, as shown in Figure l, the legs 20 will assume the vertical position indicated, but, if the tongue end portion be in one of several lower positions. the pin I3 will be engaged in one of the apertures I2 ahead of the last aperture of the series and the legs 2U will, accordingly, be set at an inclination instead of at right angles to the tongue end portion as shown. I'he towing vehicle may then be detached from the extension 'l and the tongue 5 will be supported in its raised position by the.

legs 20.

It is believed that the details of construction, manner oi operation and advantages of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing Without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

l. A- tongue support for a trailer vehicle and comprising a member slidably carried by the tongue and providing a connection between the tongue and a towingvehicle, a pivoted supporting member attached to the tongue with its lower` end adapted to rest on the ground, means connecting the supporting member to said sliding member for raising and lowering th'e former upon a sliding movement of the latterI and latch means operable from the towing vehicle to releasably connect the sliding member to the tongue.

2. A tongue support for a trailer vehicle and 4sion on the tongue, and means releasably engaged in said openings for securing the extension in a forward or rearward position 3. A tonguesupport for a trailer vehicle and comprising an extension having telescoping engagement with th'e tongue, said extension having a forward and a rear opening therein and said extension being adapted for attaching to a towing vehicle, a leg pivoted to the tongue with one end adapted for resting on the ground, an arm connecting the other end of the leg to the extension and adapted to raise and lower the leg upon an inward and outward movement of th'e extension on the tongue, and a latch pin operable from the towing vehicle and adapted for selective engagement in said openings to secure the extension in either its forward or rearward position.

PElLLlP MASTERS. 

